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How to scan tickets and check guests in
How to scan tickets and check guests in

Live event check-in using QR code scanning is the easiest and fastest way to get guests through the door and into your event.

Max Friedman avatar
Written by Max Friedman
Updated over a week ago

Givebutter makes it easy as pie to scan tickets and assist your attendees on the day of the event. No one wants to wait outside, so we designed a check-in experience that’s smooth as butter by using our app to scan tickets.

Every attendee is emailed a PDF ticket from Givebutter after purchasing, which they can easily print or display on their phone. Tickets have two unique identifiers on them:

  • Scannable QR code

  • Shortcode: a 5-digit code you can use to quickly lookup and verify tickets

sample ticket

How to scan tickets from the app

The Ticket Scanner works by using your mobile device's camera to scan the QR code on a donor's Ticket. To check in guests using the Ticket Scanner:

  • Click the blue + button at the bottom of your screen.

  • Select Scan Tickets.

  • You can use the options in the upper right corner to enable/disable sound confirmation, as well as your flashlight, if you're scanning Tickets in the dark!

  • Ensure that the relevant Campaign is selected at the top of the screen.

  • Point the camera at the QR code on a Ticket. The Ticket will automatically be checked in!

check in example

👉 Note: When you use the Ticket Scanner for the first time, the app may request permission to use your mobile device's camera. Once permission is granted, you can use the Ticket Scanner - you won't be asked again.

Manual Ticket Check In ✏️

If you're not able to scan the QR code on a Ticket, you can check guests in manually using our Manual Entry feature! To manually check in guests:

  • Click the blue + button at the bottom of your screen.

  • Select Scan Tickets.

  • Click Manually Enter Ticket.

  • Use the search bar to locate the Ticket you'd like to check in. You can search for Tickets by:

    • Ticket holder name

    • Ticket holder email address

    • Ticket short-code (ie. A0001)

manual checkin with app

👉 Note: Ticket holder and Contact/Donor information sometimes differ, for example, if a Contact purchases a Ticket for someone else. You must search for the Ticket holder's information, not the billing information entered at checkout.

Manual Check In from a Campaign's Tickets tab

You can also manually check in Tickets from the Dashboard. From the Dashboard, select an Event Campaign, and select the Tickets tab. Swipe a Ticket to the left side of your screen, or click [...] to see a Check-in button!

manual check with app and dashboard

👉 Note: You can also Uncheck Tickets the same way, just swipe left on a checked-in Ticket! They will then appear as "Not Present". This will not revoke Tickets.


Check Ins & Troubleshooting

As mentioned above, every ticket has a QR code and a 5-digit shortcode. Check-in attendees on any device by scanning or keying in the code.

Once someone is checked in, the Status column in the Tickets tab changes to a green checkmark. ✅

screen shot of dashboard check in

In the Tickets tab of the Dashboard, you can also search by name, email, and phone number. Dashboard check-ins and the 5-digit short code lookup can come in handy for these common scenarios:

  • “Oh shoot, I forgot my ticket!” Never fear; you can also search attendees by name, email, or phone number right in the Tickets tab to check them in manually.

  • “Ticket Already Redeemed on: [date]” If a QR Code is scanned after a guest has already been checked in, it will produce an error message. This can happen when a guest purchases multiple tickets and accidentally prints or digitally presents the same one for multiple people in their party. A quick reference to your Tickets tab will confirm how many tickets were purchased and allow you to complete the check-in swiftly.

A few notes on the Tickets tab:

  • The search bar is the best and fastest way to search for tickets by name

  • Filters are useful if you want to export a list of only a certain ticket type, price, etc.

  • Be sure to periodically refresh the table to ensure you are up to date with any live ticket scanners (the page may not sync in real-time)


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